BOSTON (AP) — Clemson had a little scare with quarterback Cade Klubnik getting hurt. Boston College, however, didn’t really give the Tigers any trouble at all.
Klubnik threw for a touchdown and ran for another when Clemson opened a big first-half lead before leaving with an injury late in the third quarter, and the Tigers beat struggling Boston College 41-10 on Saturday night.
“He was trying to come back in there,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “It was his ankle, so we just held him (out).”
Klubnik completed 22 of 30 passes for 280 yards with an interception for the Tigers (3-3, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference). He went to the tent after taking a hard hit on a run and remained there for a while before exiting a few minutes into the fourth.
The Tigers led 34-10 when he got injured.
“I could have gone back in the game and kind of pushed it,” Klubnik said, standing outside Clemson’s locker room. “Definitely could have, but I just felt like in the situation of the game we were in … I definitely could have returned but was excited for the guys that got in there.”
Adam Randall and Peter Woods (defensive-tackle-turned-running-back for the play) each had a short scoring run for Clemson, which beat BC for the 13th consecutive time.
Dylan Lonergan went 12 of 19 for 117 yards for BC (1-5, 0-4). The Eagles have lost five straight.
“It starts with me,” BC coach Bill O’Brien said. “I told the team this: ‘I’m the head coach, right? I can’t figure out how to get this team to play.”’
Scoring on all six of their first-half drives, the Tigers opened a 34-10 edge at halftime.
Clemson had moved ahead 24-10 on Klubnik’s 6-yard TD run around the right end, but the Eagles drove to the Tigers’ 30 before linebacker Sammy Brown came around the right edge, forcing Lonergan’s fumble that teammate T.J. Parker recovered.
Three pays later, Klubnik hit Bryant Wesco in the left corner of the end zone for a 38-yard score that made it 31-10.
The takeaway
Clemson: The Tigers have recovered with dominating victories the past two weeks after a rough start; albeit against two of the conference’s weaker teams with BC following North Carolina. It does, though, get them lined up for a shot at a solid record.
“Good to see the guys battling back,” Swinney said. “The leadership’s been great.”
Boston College: The Eagles’ defense was terrible for the second straight week. Last Saturday, Pittsburgh scored on five of its six first-half drives and led 31-0 at halftime.
No ‘trap game’
The Tigers beat an unranked opponent for the 36th consecutive time. Their last loss to a non-ranked team came against BC in 2010.
TD party
After a field goal on its first drive, Clemson posted TDs on its next four. Klubnik was 17 of 21 for 233 yards during the initial five possessions.
“With all the man coverage they play, we’re going to take what they’re giving us,” he said.
Poor choice
BC coach Bill O’Brien made a costly decision in the final seconds of the opening half, going for it on a fourth-and-6 at his own 43. After an incompletion, the Tigers converted an 11-yard sideline pass before Nolan Hauser’s 50-yard FG as time expired.
Up next
Clemson: Hosts SMU next Saturday afternoon.
Boston College: Hosts Connecticut in a nonconference game next Saturday at noon.
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By KEN POWTAK
The Associated Press
